ANNUAL REPORT 2022
About ACES Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) is a non-profit environmental science education organization with three locations in the Roaring Fork Valley: Hallam Lake, Rock Bottom Ranch, and the Catto Center at Toklat. Since 1968, ACES has inspired a life-long commitment to the earth by providing innovative and immersive programming for all ages. Our programs focus on ecological literacy, regenerative agriculture, forest and ecosystem health, land restoration, and environmental leadership. ACES contributes to a national agenda for increased environmental awareness. With support from 70 partner organizations, our programs reach over 140,000 individuals every year. We teach daily in local schools, lead camps in the summer, and host adult classes. We share the beauty and ecology of our area with locals and visitors through naturalist-led hikes and field programs for all ages. We also engage our community by hosting public lectures and events. ACES collaborates with land trusts, public agencies, and other nonprofits to achieve our mission. In the next 50 years, ACES seeks to cultivate a community of environmental stewards so that children, parents, consumers, decision-makers, and leaders can make informed decisions in an increasingly complex world.
Table of Contents
Letter from the CEO Our Sites School Programs Creating Connections with Place Why Do You Farm? Regenerative Agriculture What Does a Naturalist Do? Naturalist Program Forest & Climate Program Experiencing the Evolving Landscape of Hallam Lake Community Programs Special Events Financials Membership & Donors Donors & Corporate Sponsors Where We Work & Partners Administrative Staff & Trustees
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Inspired by the words of our founder, Elizabeth Paepcke, ACES’ mission is “educating for environmental responsibility.”
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Words Shape Our World Letter from the CEO Since 1990, the American Dialect Society has designated its annual Word of the Year. In 2021, it was “insurrection.” In 2020, it was…you guessed it: “COVID.” “Fake news” topped the list in 2017. There has yet to be an environmental word to top the list, though “climate anxiety” recently made honorable mention. In the drive to protect our natural environment, words have the power to shape and reflect where our world is headed. In the 1970s, few had heard the term “hole in the ozone layer.” The same applies to “biodiversity,” popularized in 1980 by friends of ACES, the late Thomas Lovejoy and E. O. Wilson. However, mainstream understanding of such terms historically has been a prerequisite for gaining the political and cultural will to take significant action. For example, recent Words of the Year include “my pronouns” and “hashtag me too.” Fast-forward to today. It’s been decades now, and the general population is still grappling with understanding the common term “climate change.” Even though we clearly understand the dire implications, we still struggle for the political will to take enough action to solve it. To make more progress, we must even learn other climate-related terms like afforestation (planting trees), carbon sequestration (storing carbon), and enteric fermentation (belching cows). Today’s mainstream environmental vernacular that is critical for us all to understand includes: the plastisphere (the ocean layer so polluted with plastic it created its own microbial layer), the Anthropocene (our human dominated epoch in time), pyrocumulonimbus clouds (weather systems created by mega-fires), and regenerative agriculture (food production that actually improves soil), just to name a few! For 53 years, ACES has worked to introduce the latest environmental science concepts (words) to our community, the region, and even the country. We are providing environmental education full time in four regional schools from Aspen to Rifle, growing the education movement to more under-resourced populations and implementing new state science standards. We are transforming the way people think about food systems and farming, making Rock Bottom Ranch a national center on how to grow food that doesn’t deplete our soils, pollute rivers, or emit carbon. We are restoring ecosystems through on-the-ground restoration projects. And more than anything, we are connecting people to nature, helping shape and promote the next generation of “eco-vernacular.” Our north star is aimed at educating for environmental responsibility and ecological literacy.
We expanded experiential education field program locations to four new sites in western Garfield County to get more youths outside and off screens while continuing to provide field programs to 24 regional schools. Our on-mountain Naturalist Guided Tours had a record number of participants this year, many tours introducing guests to dendrochronology and natural history. This past fall, we broke ground on the renovation of ACES’ Catto Center at Toklat. Slated for completion in May of 2023, this new one-of-a-kind wilderness retreat center will bring people together to connect with nature, aka biophilia. A short walk from the Catto Center is ACES’ new 10-acre Riverdance property, a children’s outdoor education hub. Through place-based, experiential programs, Riverdance will connect youths from diverse backgrounds with the natural world. ACES’ new farmer training program is in full swing in its second year of bringing future farmers from around the country to learn how to grow food using regenerative techniques that restore — not degrade — the soil. This spring, ACES and its partners, the City of Aspen, Pitkin County, Aspen Fire District, and the White River National Forest conducted another prescribed burn in the Hunter Creek area, improving wildlife habitat while decreasing wildfire fuels. We completed the habitat restoration of Hallam Lake, creating a more diverse aquatic ecosystem and increasing emergent wetland species to enhance the rich ecology of the preserve so that it continues to support the hundreds of living species that call it home. The lake’s leaky levee was also repaired, ensuring that Hallam Lake remains a lake for decades to come. In this report, we share our progress this past year and how we are working to help people understand the words that shape our environment—in hopes of improving it. While progress at ACES is gratifying, I look forward to the day when the Word of the Year is “regenerative” or “carbon free,” or better yet… “peace”!
Chris Lane Chief Executive Officer 3
Our Sites
Hallam Lake
Rock Bottom Ranch
Hallam Lake, a 25-acre nature preserve and environmental learning center, is the heart and hub of ACES programming in the Aspen community. It is where a variety of people — children and adults, residents and visitors — come to develop and satisfy a curiosity and connection to the natural world. It is a place for individuals and groups to visit alone or join with program staff and others in pursuit of our mission.
Rock Bottom Ranch is a 113-acre regenerative agriculture center which includes 40 acres managed for agriculture and education and 73 acres maintained for wildlife conservation.
At Hallam Lake, ACES focuses on environmental education for all ages in spaces that represent the natural communities adjacent to Aspen’s urban center. It has space for visitors to observe, learn, celebrate and contemplate the balance and interaction of natural communities and humankind’s role within them. Hallam Lake is the “home base” for various integrated program offerings, by us and others, including School Programs, Naturalist Programs, Forest and Climate Programs, and administration. It houses our shared organizational expertise in the natural history and ecology of the Aspen area, educational theory and methods, forestry, climate, wildfire study, and wildlife care and rehabilitation. To learn more about the recent restoration work at Hallam Lake, check out “Experiencing the Evolving Landscape of Hallam Lake” on page 14-15.
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At the ranch, we aim to change the way people think about food systems and agriculture, growing food that doesn’t deplete soils, pollute rivers, or emit carbon. We focus on the natural world — its connection to our food systems and why that connection matters. We create models of replicable, regenerative farming practices to share with our community through educational outreach programs up and down the Roaring Fork Valley. To learn more about our work at Rock Bottom Ranch, check out our Regenerative Agriculture feature on pages 8-9.
OUR SITES
The Catto Center at Toklat
The Catto Center at Toklat, often compared to Thoreau’s Walden Pond, Leopold’s Shack, or the Murie Ranch, was built by renowned environmentalist, Stuart Mace, and his wife Isabel in 1948 as a wilderness lodge and family home. In 2004, with the help of long-time ACES supporters Jessica Hobby Catto and her husband Henry, ACES bought Toklat to preserve Stuart’s legacy. Today, it is a one-of-a-kind wilderness retreat center where visitors experience inspiring dialogue, reflect on nature, and motivate for environmental protection. Located near the headwaters of Castle Creek in a dramatic landscape, the Catto Center serves as a gathering place for cultural and ecological discourse for visitors from the region and also from around the world. It is also a place for environmental educational classes for all ages, retreats, community gatherings (often still around the campfire), hosting artists (or scientists) in residence, and naturalist-led excursions into the forest.
Introducing
Riverdance
Nestled against an aspen-forested hillside just a short walk from the Catto Center at Toklat is ACES’ new 10-acre Riverdance property, an outdoor education hub. Surrounded by National Forest, the goal of this property is to provide inspiration and education to all who experience its beauty. The property overlooks a riparian area of Castle Creek that includes shrub and wildflower meadows, aspen and spruce forests, game trails, beaver ponds and a natural spring. An understanding of natural systems and our role within them is necessary to make informed decisions that affect the future of the planet. With this in mind, Riverdance, with limited infrastructure in the process of being constructed, will connect youths from diverse backgrounds with the natural world so they can develop a knowledge of and appreciation for protecting nature. Renovating the Catto Center at Toklat, Fall 2021
After more than 70 years of use, the Catto Center was in dire need of renovation. With the help of Michael Fuller Architects, Louthis Custom Builders, Stan Clauson Associates, and numerous others in our community, ACES broke ground on the renovation of the Catto Center in the fall of 2021. Plans include preserving historic elements of the building in combination with new and improved meeting spaces, entrance, employee housing, kitchen, bathrooms, outdoor spaces, caretaker unit, artist/scientist in residence cabin, and more, all powered on site by solar and micro-hydro-powered renewable energy. The facility should reopen in the spring of 2023, ready for the next 70 years of connecting people to nature. 5
5 Stats: • ACES’ 15-person Education Team provides
full-time environmental education
• ACES leads in-classroom and field-based programs for
35+ schools
in four (4) public schools: Aspen, Basalt, Carbondale, and New Castle. • ACES provides inspiring outdoor field science programs for more than
and youth organizations.
•
2,000 PreK-12th grade students from Aspen to Rifle.
•
95% of schools
that participate in ACES’ field programs receive a full or partial scholarship.
1,566 students
receive weekly environmental education in the classroom.
About Our School Programs ACES Ed provides place-based educational experiences for students and teachers that inspire a curiosity about, connection to, and responsibility for the environment. Our standards-aligned, integrated classroom and field programs offer students opportunities to ask questions and investigate the natural world. In these programs, kids explore local phenomena, develop an interest in science, and learn how to care for our natural resources. Since 1975, ACES Ed has partnered with local schools to provide a broad spectrum of environmental education. In the 2021-2022 school year, ACES Educators taught daily in our four partner schools— Aspen Elementary, Basalt Elementary, Crystal 6
River Elementary and Kathryn Senor Elementary. Each grade level in ACES’ partner schools also received two field programs that applied what the students were learning in the ACES classroom to our local places. ACES expanded field program locations this year to include sites closer to schools in the Garfield Re-2 School District. We offered new programs at Rifle Falls State Park, Rifle Gap State Park, East Elk Creek and Sunlight Mountain. We offered tomorrow’s Voices, ACES’ course for Roaring Fork Valley high school students, in the spring semester this year. In this college-level course, students explored and discussed timely and relevant social justice issues while discovering the power of their own civic voices.
SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Creating Connections with Place: Snowpack Observations at Sunlight Mountain by Emily Williams, Field Programs Coordinator
I always look forward to the moment my group of students takes their first step onto the trail. Today we are learning about snow science — how our snowpack changes through time and space. I give the group a question to talk about as we set off on our snowshoe adventure: “How is our snowpack changing today?” We have students from Riverside Middle School in New Castle on our field program at Sunlight Mountain Resort outside of Glenwood Springs. There have been many steps to get to this moment: emails sent, buses scheduled, educators booked, materials moved, gear organized, reminders received, lunches packed, water filled, and students transported. Students step off the bus into the hubbub of a large group introduction and strap on snowshoes before heading up the trail. As we walk, I turn to talk to the student next to me. We chat a little about the weather (sunny) and how the snow is changing (probably melting a little) before she says to me with a smile, “It’s so cool that you, ACES, are here!” The comment sparks my curiosity, and I ask her how she has been involved with ACES in the past. She tells me that she went to Crystal River Elementary School (one of our partner schools since 2010) and remembers visiting the animals at Rock Bottom Ranch and the birds of prey at Hallam Lake. She even rattles off the names of some of her previous ACES educators! I share with her that I’m thrilled to be here at Sunlight, too, and that one of our goals for the ACES Education team is to offer more field programs in more locations, especially in western Garfield County.
We find a spot to pull off the trail and dig a snowpit to investigate the layers in the snow. I give my students our next question for the day: “How has our snowpack changed over the winter?” Their challenge is to dig all the way to the ground and see what they can discover about how the winter has created and affected the layers in the snow. Over the past year, ACES’ education department has expanded field program offerings to include three new sites: East Elk Creek, Sunlight Mountain Resort, and Rifle Falls State Park. In my new role as the Field Programs Coordinator, I’ve been building on the work of previous educators to develop field programs at sites closer to schools in the Garfield Re-2 School District. With support from our donors, including Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), we have both adapted field programs from other locations within the Roaring Fork Valley and created new field programs that highlight the geology and ecology of these places. Our field programs integrate with our classroom curriculum to offer the opportunity to spend more time exploring our local phenomena. While students investigate why snowshoe hares and cottontail rabbits live in different places, they also get to go into the field where they can find snowshoe hare tracks and experience why the mountain environment is a hard place for animals to survive. After observing the layers in our snow pit, we turn to our final question for the day: “How will our snowpack change between now and July?” I pull out a snow saw, and we collect a wedge of snow. We weigh the snow and measure the snow water equivalent. As we talk about where this snow will travel between now and July, I feel so fortunate to have these experiences building connections with students, teachers, and our broader community.
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Why Do You Farm?
Introduction by Mariah Foley, Agriculture Manager
“Growing food people and th
“Why do you farm?” It's a question asked of us constantly. By parents and extended family, college advisors and college buddies, strangers met at parties and on every first date. We each have a spectrum of answers, all true. “I farm because I love to eat.” “An interest in environmental conservation and biology led me to thinking about food systems.” “Growing food cares for people and the land.” But we all have reasons that cut a little closer to the bone, deeply connect to our identities and histories, are floaty and harder to fit into short sound bites. Many of them come down to this: This work creates a refuge, from societal pressures, from our anxieties, from our disconnection. The routine nature of farming makes it possible to have larger deeper conversations during the work day. These conversations happen in a bubble amongst the RBR staff — and we were excited to have an opportunity to share some of the things we talk about while we farm. Here are some answers to the question, “What refuge do you find in farming?”
Oliver Simmering
Livestock Apprentice Farming reflects life in the world and so many bigger systems. Each day the work provides and requires a spectrum of emotions, and I am forced to reckon with life and death while also being given gifts and tools to cope with it all. Farming allows me to simply be a person — to be seen for exactly what I am — and subverts boxes and expectations of other areas of life.
Mary Kate Wilcox
Livestock Apprentice
Farming to me is both a refuge for body and mind. It is the only place or occupation I have ever found where I can truly appreciate my body. Here it doesn’t matter how I look or what size I am. What matters is getting the job done, and this body does that everyday. The refuge of farming goes beyond physical work. Being outside everyday with people of such diverse backgrounds, yet similar passions, using all of our collective mental strengths to solve problems, is a glorious contrast and balm to the society we all came from.
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Jess Burroughs
Vegetable Apprentice
Drifting through my early twenties, trying to find where meaning fit into my life, I found myself struggling with increasing disconnection and an untethering of self. After my first year farming, I started to dream of a more grounded future for myself and to imagine a community that could come together to heal many of the wounds we all share. In farming I can come back to restoring health, spirit, and community.
Masha Brumer
Vegetable Apprentice
Farming gives me refuge from the increasing disconnect between Nature and Humans. Farming has empowered me through an understanding of the seasonal and cyclical nature of plants, soil, and ultimately, ourselves. This has been key in understanding human health and rebuilding my own. We are extensions of the earth, yet we question the ever-increasing incidence of illness resulting from attempting to exist independent of nature. Such a fallacy reveals a tragic arrogance — which farming has helped me to slowly overcome.
REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE
d cares for he land.”
Ariel Rittenhouse Vegetable Lead
Everyone has to eat, and finding systems that are more attuned to natural processes brings a sense of longevity and importance to my work. Farming provides refuge by working my physical body and mind, keeping me aligned with the seasons, and providing an inclusive and supportive community.
Agriculture Stats: • 2,042 animals on the farm.
• 6,173 food transactions (sales). • 6,150 + hours of hands-on work experience and education for beginning farmers. • 2,173 bunches of radishes harvested.
“…Environmental conservation and biology led me to thinking about food systems.”
About Regenerative Agriculture at Rock Bottom Ranch At Rock Bottom Ranch, ACES develops models for replicable, regenerative agriculture to restore soil biodiversity and positively affect our climate. We educate farmers and eaters alike about the link between land stewardship and food production. Our vegetable and livestock production systems are designed to mimic nature and work with natural cycles. Holistic livestock management is critical to the process of nutrient-cycling and carbon sequestration. We raise sheep, cattle, laying hens, broiler chickens, and rabbits — all with a focus on animal welfare and pasture health. Low-till vegetable production minimizes soil disturbance to preserve soil structure. This allows for intensive spacing between rows, maximizing the land’s productivity. Our passively heated greenhouses allow us to produce year-round without the need for any fossil fuels or supplemental heat. We educate beginning farmers through the Farmer Training Program, made up of seven-and-a-half-month Agriculture Apprentice positions and two-and-a-halfmonth Agriculture Steward positions. During the school year, we welcome classes from neighboring schools to learn about regenerative agriculture in our outdoor classrooms. Community programs, events, and farmers markets enable us to connect with our local community.
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What Does a Naturalist Do?
by Sam Blair, ACES Naturalist, Summer 2021-Winter 2022 I left Aspen in mid-April, as the snowpack was starting to melt out of the high country of the Elk and Sawatch mountains. I drove down Highway 82 the same way I had driven up at the beginning of last summer, saying goodbye (for now) to a place that had become, in just ten months of work as a naturalist at the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, my home. As I drove, I was thinking loosely of a question I often encountered in my work at ACES: What, exactly, does a naturalist do? When I first walked through the door of the ACES nature preserve at Hallam Lake, on a Sunday afternoon in early June, I wasn’t so sure myself. I didn’t yet know the name of the narrow-leafed cottonwoods that line the ACES driveway, or the feel of the stirring wind that precedes an afternoon thunderstorm in mid-July, or the sound of an American Dipper burbling to himself in the cold of a still September morning. The first thing I did when I got to Aspen — before I even set foot in my apartment or unpacked my car — was walk out onto the preserve, for just a few minutes, with ACES’ Director of Naturalist Programs, Jim Kravitz. Looking back, I recognize that the seed of an answer — or really, many answers — was there already. I don’t know how to say it in a single sentence. But I hope that, in the telling of a story, the answers that matter most might rise to the top.
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As we wandered from the nature center to the lake along a narrow, spruce-shaded path, talking perhaps about beavers or pondweed, Jim stopped what he was saying midsentence to point out a small, pale plant growing in the duff beside the trail. It was about five inches tall, purple-stemmed, and almost translucent, with miniscule maroon flowers and no visible leaves. Upon closer examination — a naturalist phrase which means “I got down on all fours and crawled up until my nose was touching it” — I could see that the plant’s flowers were actually white with finely traced, deep red stripes extending from the base to the tip of each petal. This was a striped coralroot orchid, Jim told me, a plant that lives by stealing sugars from other plants. Its pale, almost ghostly color suggests its lifestyle: lacking greenpigmented chlorophyll, it cannot make its own energy from the sun.
A naturalist finds beauty. —
Striped coralroot orchid, along with many similarly unusual and unassuming plants, turns out to have a fascinating history of being misunderstood, overlooked, or deliberately ignored by the scientific community. Just ten years ago, most botanists called these plants “saprophytes,” and thought (when they thought about them at all) they survived by eating dead and decaying organic matter. I met one such plant, the small, colorless ghost pipe, Monotropa uniflora, on childhood walks with my uncle in the Massachusetts woods. He introduced it to me as a saprophyte, and for years afterward, I imagined the supine body of a dead mouse curled, as if sleeping, beneath each translucent ghost pipe I encountered. Now, plant biologists recognize that “saprophytic” plants are actually incapable of breaking down and eating woody structures like lignin and cellulose, much less flesh and bone, on their own. What they can do is parasitize fungi that decompose organic matter. Even more commonly, they parasitize fungi that form symbiotic associations with the roots of all sorts of green and growing things, linking plant communities together into mycorrhizal networks. In this view, plants like the coralroot orchid are something called myco-heterotrophs, “mycorrhizal cheaters” that tap into symbiotic communities and siphon off nutrients from the other, rule-abiding plant and fungus citizens.
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A naturalist looks beneath the surface.
NATURALIST PROGRAM —
Although these changing understandings of the orchid are fascinating, it’s my sense that the terms themselves — saprophyte and myco-heterotroph, symbiosis and parasitism — sometimes obscure more than they reveal, seeming to denote opposites when they actually stand in for similarities. The truth is that the whole evolutionary history of the orchid, which is almost entirely shared with the plants whose sugars it steals, is full of transformative relationships. Evidence of one such relationship lives in the chloroplasts that the orchid has lost. Chloroplasts possess their own DNA, profoundly different from the DNA of the plant cells they inhabit. Biologists understand this difference as strong evidence that chloroplasts descend from photosynthetic bacteria which were engulfed by larger and hungrier non-photosynthetic cells. For plants, this is the original symbiosis that has made possible every subsequent act of theft and cooperation. But it’s hard for me to imagine it as a gentle or mutually agreeable process — being “engulfed,” in the lexicon of a single-celled organism, tends to equal being eaten. What is symbiosis, then, but the hunger of different beings that comes to resemble love? And what is a “mycorrhizal cheater,” but an unruly participant in a relationship that has complicated and conflicting drives at its heart?
A naturalist draws connections. —
Anna Tsing, an anthropologist whose work has often come to mind during my time in Aspen, observes of chloroplasts and humans alike: “The evolution of our ‘selves’ is already polluted by histories of encounter." In other words, we — and I mean to use “we” in the most inclusive sense, to include flowers and chickadees and springfed lakes and piles of mine tailings — are caught up in tangles of relationship before we ever meet one another anew. Like the intertwined roots of the coralroot orchid, like the chloroplasts whirring inside the cells of a cottonwood leaf, we cannot help but be implicated in personal histories that extend past ourselves. This is a lesson I teach on my tours, but it is also a lesson I learn anew each time I take people into the mountains. I cannot begin to describe how lucky I have felt to meet and learn from so many seemingly dissimilar people—from Midwestern grocery store executives to Filipina pharmacists, from a Brazilian electrical engineer to a gaggle of sorority sisters from Texas—all curious, all unaffectedly moved, all seeing new and wondrous things in a place I had imagined I knew. Their "histories of encounter" became, in the space of two hours, part of my history, too. The work of a naturalist, as I have practiced and understood it, is to make personal the history of the beings who share their homes with us — to express attention, care, and wonder for them, whether “they” are a deep-scoured glacial valley or a green lacewing fly overwintering under the bark of a dead spruce tree. This work teaches me daily that learning to pay attention is not different from learning to love. It is in that fact that the simplest and truest hope I know resides. Driving down Highway 82 to the confluence of the Roaring Fork and Colorado rivers, and then turning away from the water’s course to chart my own, it is this thought that I carry with me:
A naturalist inspires hope. 11
NATURALIST PROGRAM
5 Stats: • 1621 guests on ACES guided tours on Aspen and Snowmass Mountains in partnership with Aspen Skiing Company during Winter 2021-2022. • 12-16 new Summer Naturalists have been hired every year since 1991. • 510 Naturalists trained since 1991. • 32 years ACES has partnered with United States Forest Service, Aspen Skiing Company, and Snowmass Village.
About Our Naturalist Program Each summer, ACES trains up to 16 Summer Naturalists. These enthusiastic college graduates act as ambassadors to Aspen, inspiring connections to our area and reaching over 40,000 locals and visitors. They spend the summer months guiding hikes and providing educational outreach on Aspen Mountain, Snowmass Mountain, Maroon Bells, and other iconic sites. In the winter, they guide snowshoe and ski tours on Aspen Mountain, Snowmass Mountain, and in the Castle Creek Valley. Through training, guiding, and individual research, Naturalists develop a deep knowledge of local ecology, environmental issues, human history, and the physical landscape. While at ACES, Naturalists gain a greater understanding and passion for their favorite subjects as they plot their own career paths. For more than 30 years, Naturalists in this ever-growing group of ACES alumni go on to become conservation activists, scientists, teachers, land managers, policymakers, non-profit administrators, and sustainability experts. With ACES as a foundation, Naturalists further the ACES mission by bringing their knowledge, communication skills, and appreciation of the natural world to new communities.
All-Time Snowshoe Tour Attendance
Number of attendees
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Year
FOREST & CLIMATE
About Our Forest & Climate Program ACES’ Forest & Climate Program occupies the nexus between forests and climate. Forests are one of the most important ecosystems in the Roaring Fork Watershed. They are also harbingers of climate change. Declining aspen stands, conifers killed by bark beetles, and increasing wildfires are all symptoms of persistent drought caused by climate change. While the trends we see in forests are alarming, there is hope. Action now to improve forest stewardship and reduce greenhouse gas emissions can protect our forests. ACES connects the community to forests, helping to promote an understanding of our impacts and how to reduce them. Our work includes education, research, monitoring, and restoration.
ACES’ Forest & Climate Program works on research and monitoring through Colorado’s Forest Health Index (FHI) and the State of the Forest Report. The FHI tracks critical drivers of forest health for 38 Colorado watersheds. This year, ACES published our sixth State of the Forest Report, focused on the connections between community and forests. Our restoration projects are examples of how human actions can improve forests health and promote sustainability. ACES and our partners are taking action to mitigate the impacts of Douglas fir beetle on Aspen Mountain and conduct a second prescribed fire in Hunter Creek.
5 Stats: • ACES has guided 200 people through local burn areas. • 7,000 MCH packets distributed on Aspen Mountain to prevent Douglas fir beetle outbreak. • ACES restored 1,022 acres of forest. • 6 State of the Forest reports published.
Walk through the Lake Christine Fire Burn Zone with Forest & Climate Director Adam McCurdy
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Experiencing the Evolving Landscape of Hallam Lake by Phebe Meyers, Community Programs Senior Manager In September 2022, ACES began work on a major habitat improvement and infrastructure repair project at Hallam Lake. The Hallam Lake Habitat Improvement and Berm Repair project had two primary goals. The first goal was to repair the earthen berm and outlet structures that create Hallam Lake, ensuring the lake persists for the foreseeable future. The second goal was to improve habitat diversity at Hallam Lake by creating additional deep sections of the lake and building new emergent wetlands along the edge of the lake.
The sun rose across Hallam Lake, illuminating the golden leaves and green needles of the nearby cottonwood and spruce trees whose roots escaped through the banks into the water. We’d ventured beyond the green temporary chain link fence, onto the preserve that had been closed to the public for a month. The sound of heavy machinery added to the fall soundscape that is typically limited to bird calls. It was Tuesday, October 5, and the conditions were perfect for our Morning Birding outing at Hallam Lake. ACES' bird guide, Rebecca Weiss, and five other birders, and I giggled on the bank as we listened to the smacking beaks of dozens of Mallard ducks and Greenwinged Teal and a Spotted Sandpiper probing and foraging in the newly exposed lake bottom. This was a new sound for us — a feeding frenzy before the cold weather ahead. 14
During this time, our preserve was closed to the public — with the exception of guided outings like this one led by ACES guides. The ACES community birding program continued to share this space with the public on our monthly birding outings, documenting and observing bird behavior and activity during this project and sharing our species lists with the community. This was our outdoor classroom, and there was so much to engage with, observe, and explore. From the bank, we watched the corvids feasting on the goodies in the newly exposed lakebed, taking advantage of new food resources, driven by their natural curiosity that serves them so well as successful opportunists. Getting to share this project with community members and exploring the birdlife adapting to the transitional and temporary landscape was a highlight of our birding outings for me this year. People who had been birding at Hallam Lake for decades got to explore exposed parts of our preserve and interact with this place in a new way. There we stood observing the necks of the geese making similar movements to that of the excavator — extending and retracting. It was “business as usual” for these birds.
HALLAM LAKE Building a sense of place through exploration, education, and community and stewarding this land for future generations are key to our mission. Throughout the fall, Belted Kingfishers darted overhead, Canada Geese and Mallards enjoyed the lake by the dozen, and five Wilson’s Snipe took up residence, enjoying the exposed banks and streams as springs continued to fill the lake. Snipe and other birds that use very shallow water (wetlands and shorelines) are of necessity very adaptable to changing conditions. They make use of shallow water wherever it occurs, and are adept at both seeking out these conditions and moving on when water levels change less favorably (either drying up or getting too deep). It was fascinating to see the snipe being so responsive to opportunities as the conditions in the preserve changed throughout the project.
Change in nature is often very slow. But, after a disturbance, change happens rapidly — for example, after a fire, avalanche, or flood. At these times, change can happen on the scale of weeks or years rather than decades or centuries. While the restoration work at Hallam Lake isn’t naturally occurring, it is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see an ecosystem change at a rapid pace. We encourage you to come see Hallam Lake over the next several years as the new wetlands and disturbed areas evolve from barren soil into a fully functional ecosystem.
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Community Programs & Special Events
ACES preserves its long-standing tradition of bringing the community together through events and programs that engage, inform, and inspire. Ranging from community lectures, to morning birding, to gourmet farm-to-table dinners, ACES special events and programs nourish the mind, while building community and affecting positive change. This year, we established new Ranch Experiences at Rock Bottom Ranch, and we continue to develop programming that is fun and accessible for people of all ages and backgrounds. Summer Camps
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
Ra nch E
x p e ri e n c
es at RB
R
Birds of Prey Demonstrations
B ird in
g
Community Program Stats: • 1,896 participants in summer community programs. • 31 summer camp scholarships. • $6,851.50 in scholarships for summer camps awarded. • 117 bird species identified in ACES’ birding programs. 16
Burlap Dinners at RBR
Li tt le R an ch
er s an d N at
ur e & M e
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS & SPECIAL EVENETS
SPEAKER SERIES
ACES Speaker Series include Naturalist Nights, Potbelly Perspectives, Wild Perspectives, and Jessica Catto Dialogues. They feature scientists, adventurers, and other experts — giving them a platform to share their passions while inspiring, informing, and empowering attendees Many of our lectures are available to stream at aspennature.org.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Harvest Party
Picnic on the Preserve Raptor Fair
“Stars Above Aspen is such a testament to all the hard work ACES does during a summer season, and every year — to have it all culminate in such a large community gathering with low-cost barriers and all-age access is so incredible. Not to mention simply being a part of an event where people are smiling in the August wildflowers, then in the firelight dusk, and then up at the stars and planets… there’s nothing like it and I will miss it dearly.”
Events Stats:
—Erin Bucchin, former ACES’ Admin Assistant Stars Above Aspen on Aspen Mountain
• 4,500 attendees at ACES summer events. • 1,413 tickets sold to Stars Above Aspen. • 36+ public events. • 48 minutes to sell out our Farm to Table Dinners. 17
Financials When removing Capital Campaign contributions, operating revenue for the 2021 fiscal year totaled $3.47 million. This is an $844,000 increase in revenue from 2020 when pandemic impacts resulted in reduced participation in community programs and events. The increase is also attributable to our ability to restore our summer fundraiser, An Evening on the Lake, after it was canceled in 2020. Total operating expenses for 2021 increased by $332,582 from 2020 to $2.88 million, corresponding to an increase in ACES programming as the pandemic’s impact on ACES operations and programs reduced. ACES’ 50th Anniversary Capital Campaign reached its goal of raising $12.5 million in 2021. These annualized pledges are reflected in the 2019, 2020 and 2021 contributions line item.
Revenue & Other Support Contributions Endowment Membership Income Admission & Tuition Other Income Investment Income Total Revenue
Expenses Educational Expenses Management & General Expenses Fundraising Expenses Total Expenses Excess of Revenue over Expenses
Assets Cash & Cash Equivalents Pledges Receivable (net) Inventory Investments Land, Building & Equipment (net) Total Assets
Liabilities Accrued Expenses Note Payable Total Liabilities
Net Assets Without Donor Restrictions: Undesignated Invested in Land, Buildings, Equipment (net) With Donor Restrictions Total Net Assets Total Liabilities & Net Assets
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FINANCIALS
2021 4,841,606 480,000 222,982 645,913 468,744 16,998 6,676,243
2020 8,782,884 480,000 231,501 529,586 525,991 55,677 10,605,639
2019 6,816,38 455,000 216,854 765,079 730,627 61,822 9,045,765
2021 2,091,471 437,380 351,854 2,880,705 3,795,538
2020 1,854,430 367,776 325,917 2,548,123 8,057,516
2019 1,958,548 483,90 516,116 2,958,565 6,087,200
2021 9,874,004 5,984,944 97,069 5,246,984 11,402,714 32,605,715
2020 6,015,971 6,291,986 81,647 5,870,376 `10,279,185 28,539,165
2019 5,238,565 4,101,654 22,686 3,818,392 7,313,898 20,495,195
2021 525,127 281,196 806,323
2020 229,285 306,026 535,311
2019 218,548 330,309 548,857
2021
2020
2019
5,613,211 11,121,518 15,064,663 31,799,392 32,605,715
4,634,939 9,973,159 13,395,756 28,003,854 28,539,165
Revenue & Other Support Contributions Endowment Membership Income Admission & Tuition Other Income Investment Income
Expenses Educational Expense Management & General Expenses Fundraising Expenses
5,041,478 6,983,589 7,921,271 19,946,338 20,495,195
The financial statements of ACES were audited by Reese Henry & Company, Inc. A copy of the complete Independent Auditor’s Report and 990 are available on the ACES website. 19
Membership Thank you! We would like to express our gratitude to the contributors who generously supported ACES annual fund, capital campaign, summer benefit, special projects and programs between the dates of November 1, 2020 and October 31, 2021. Recognition in the ACES annual report is a membership benefit of the Bighorn Sheep membership level ($300) and above.
Our Donors Chairman’s Circle ($50,000 and above) Anonymous (3) Argonautica Currie and Tom Barron Annabelle Bond and Ken Hitchner Carla and John Brozovich Carolyn S. Bucksbaum Jacolyn and John Bucksbaum Catena Foundation Catto Shaw Foundation Ann Dahmer and Kevin Geiser Jan and Neal Dempsey Ann and John Doerr Fidel Duke Helen Hough Feinberg Sherri and Dean Goodwin Carol and Mike Hundert Adam and Melony Lewis Margaret and Daniel Loeb Malott Family Foundation Gina and Jerry Murdock David Newberger Penner Family Foundation Pettit Foundation Margot and Thomas Pritzker Barbara and Don Rosenberg Restorer’s Circle ($25,000 - $49,999) Lydia and Bill Addy Aspen Business Center Foundation Ella and Scott Brittingham Alison Teal and Sam Brown Laurence and Lori Fink Patricia Goudvis Ellen Bronfman Hauptman and Andrew Hauptman Soledad and Robert Hurst Living Peace Foundation Willem and Lisa Mesdag Marcie and Robert Musser Ann Richards Nitze Hensley and James Peterson Barbara Reid and David Hyman Lynda and Stuart Resnick Pat and Mary Scanlan Jill Soffer and Steve Elder Jeffrey and Elisha Zander
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Benefactor ($10,000 - $24,999) Anonymous (2) David and Lisa Alpern Zoë Baird and Bill Budinger Amy and Gilchrist Berg Jackie and Mike Bezos Sarah Broughton and John Rowland Ruth Carver Kristina and William Catto Sarah Challinor City of Aspen Charles William Cole Paula and Jim Crown Pat and Dorian Damoorgian Merle Jean Dulien Trust Marcy and Leo Edelstein The Environment Foundation Clayton and Shel Erikson Suzanne Farver and Clint VanZee John and Jessica Fullerton Wally and Kristen Graham Margaret and Bill Greenfield Jody Guralnick and Michael Lipkin Amanda and Ashton Hudson Bill Hunt Woody and Gayle Hunt Family Foundation Dana and Jim Jacobsen Rusty and John Jaggers Shana and Clint Johnstone Reenie Kinney and Scott Hicks Flo and Scott Miller Christina and Tad O'Donnell Chad and Ilona Oppenheim Norman and Melinda Payson Ben Pritzker and Aimee Acklen Pitkin County Healthy Community Fund Robert Purvis Ilona Nemeth-Quasha and Alan Quasha Ashley Schiff Ramos and Mike Ramos Katharine Johnson Rayner Jane L. Richards Becky and Chris Steere Katherine Tomford and David Grossman Rob and Melani Walton Tillie Walton Helen Ward and Walter Obermeyer
Innovator ($5,000 - $9,999) Aspen Community Foundation Meredith Bell Sheri Sanzone and Chris Bendon Jeffrey and Jody Black Jo and Bill Brandt Morgan and Matthew Brown Janet Clark Rona and Jeff Citrin Sally R. Cole Sylvie and Gary Crum Sabrina and Stephane DeBaets Chelsea and Chace Dillon Dee and Dave David Dillon Maja and Nicholas Paepcke DuBrul Lauren and Ryan Elston John and Muriel Eulich Elizabeth and George Farish Kirsten and Andrew Firman Diane and Alan Franco Kristina Fraser and Jeffrey Goldstein Ann and Tom Friedman Mary and Jim Griffith Michelle and Perry Griffith Margot and Richard Hampleman Leelee and Bill Harriman Cecil and Noelle Hernandez Marianne and Richard Kipper Michael Kobey The Laffey-McHugh Foundation Leonard and Judy Lauder Toby Devan Lewis Jonathan Lewis and Mark Zitelli Shelly and Tony Malkin Kim Master and Noah Lieb Peter McBride Leslie and John McQuown Andrea and Bobby McTamaney Constance Hoguet Neel and Richard Neel Ashley and Matt O'Reilly William and Susan Oberndorf Mark and Lorraine Schapiro Mark Pincus and Hilary Shaw William Stolz Linda Strickland Barbara Reese Betty and Lloyd Schermer Lisa and David Schiff Polly Scott and Jim Maher Rachel and Tony Sherman Jennifer and Daniel Shorr Sarah and Paul Sohn Mary Ann and Ray Tittle Hugh Uhalt Heather and Phillip Wilhelm Advocate ($2,500 - $4,999) Susannah and Jim Adelson Cara and Robert Barnes Jeff and Becky Berkus Sallie and Thomas Bernard Kristen and Charles Bieler Judy and Jake Brace Laurel and John Catto David Cordish Linda and Ben Davis Jamie and Steven Dell Muffy and Andy DiSabatino
Laura Donnelley Marsha and David Dowler Dubose Family Foundation Wally and Terry Durham Sandra Eskin Joan Fabry and Micheal Klein Stephen Farish Martha Farish Oti Nanette Finger Orly Friedman Andi and Jim Gordon Jo and Bill Guenzel Shirley and Barnett Helzberg The William H. and Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation Daniel and Toni Hunt Pam Joseph Kevin Messerschmidt and Denise Jurgens Jack and Diane Kennedy Sheila King Valerie Kinkade and Kevin Grant Rachel and Rick Klausner Linda Lay Barabra and Jon Lee Mary Schmidt-Libby and Russell Libby Francine and Tag Liebel Elizabeth and Adam Lowenstein Judy and Robbie Mann Diane Moore and Joel Sax Nancy and Joe Nevin Corinne Nevinny Ruth Owens Shereen and Jordan Sarick Wendy and Mike Sidley Jill St. John Patsy Tisch Arden and Bob Travers Brittany and Colter Van Domelen Jay and Patti Webster Joe and Carrie Wells Jessica Worth Alison and Boniface Zaino Steward ($1,000 - $2,499) Vanessa and Karl Adam Pamela Alexander Erin Ankin Claudia and Richard Balderston Connie and Buddy Bates Caroyln Bellinson Barbara and Bruce Berger Marla and Lawrence Butler Cinda and Michael Carron Annie and Coley Cassidy Katherin and David Chase Sarah Chiles Megan and Tom Clark David Corbin Marcia Corbin Carol Craig Donna Lynn Crown P. Cunningham and Rick Schultz Sarah Davis and Steve Harris Monica De Turris Andy Docken Aubrey Epstein Shannon Fairbanks George and Susan Fesus
MEMBERSHIP
Donor Circles
Donor Circles Breakfast at Mojo Gardens, Summer 2021
ACES' Donor Circles members are knowledgeable, powerful voices for the environment, both in the Roaring Fork Valley and across the nation. Donor Circles members donate $1,200 and above each year, and see their investments make a tangible difference by shaping our future for generations to come. Donor Circles members enjoy special opportunities to meet with visiting environmental leaders and speakers, as well as receive priority registration to events or programs and invitations to unique events and receptions. To further acknowledge their generosity, Donor Circles members are recognized in ACES’ Annual Report and on our donor wall at ACES' Hallam Lake visitor center. Judith Fisher Ruth and Dan Flournoy Jan Fox Donna and Gary Freedman Barbara Fretz Andrew Gibas Laurel Gilbert and Bruce Etkin Neil Glaser and Richie Lin Dr. Lisa Braun Glazer and Dr. Jeff Glazer Joanna Golden Helen and Scott Graves Jan and Ronald Greenberg Lisa and Bill Guth Julie and Jim Hager Carolyn Hagist Kristen Henry Sue Helm Ambassador Bruce and Vicki Heyman Joan and Eugene Hill Carol Hood Peterson and Brooke A. Peterson Mary and Dan Horn Max Hoshino Louise and Phil Hoversten Holly Hunt Breckie and Matt Hunt Jessica and Matthew Jay Kimberly Jones Sandy and George Kahle Mike and Laura Kaplan Katherine Kendrick Dr. and Mrs. Tom Kurt Anne Kerr L'Heureux and Matthew L'Heureux Sheila and Bill Lambert Gary and Laura Lauder Elaine Le Buhn Lee and Zachry Lee Kim Lewis Peter Looram Jessica Kaplan Lundevall and Torjus Lundevall Marlene Malek Kate McBride Stephen T. McDonald Barbara and John Patrick McMahon Anne Welsh McNulty
Sarah Meserve Natalia Lupi-Oeate and Doug Peate Bobbi Cunningham and Michael Ortiz Hensley and James Peterson Lynn Nichols and Jim Gilchrist Sam and Anita Michaels Diane Morris David Neunuebel Nancy Paley Fonda Paterson Victoria Smith Steve Stunda Linda Vidal Jim and Jan Patterson Ken and Emily Ransford Phillip and Emily Ring Louisa and James Rudolph Phyllis and David Scruggs Karyn and Nate Simmons William Lundeen Stirling Allison and Ben Tiller Lucy Tremols and Galen Bright Snowmass Village Rotary Club Barbara Trueman Janet Van Dyke Bob and Ruth Wade Nancy and Edward White Stuart Wilson Cheryl Wyly Martha and Gerry Wyrsch Black Bear ($600 - $999) Anonymous Duane and Sherry Abbott Elizabeth Ballinger Dawn Barton Tony and Terri Caine Jim and Betsy Chaffin Dan W. Daly Kam and Michael Davies Tom and Darlynn Fellman Griff Foxley Edmund Frank Alyson and Justin Gish Liz Coplon and Carl Eichstaedt Karen and John Gray-Krehbiel Stacy and Mike Greenberg
Elizabeth Paepcke Society Planned Giving - Leave a Lasting Legacy
Many of our supporters choose to leave a gift to ACES in their wills or trusts to protect our environment for future generations. You can, too. When you do, you play a key role in sustaining ACES’ mission, expanding its programs, and ensuring its future. To learn more about planned giving through ACES’ Elizabeth Paepcke Society, please contact Development Director, Christy Mahon at 970.925.5756 or cmahon@aspennature.org. 21
Nicholas Groos Roger Gurrentz Chonnie and Paul Jacobson Warren and Kathleen Jones Janis and George Huggins Valerie and Patrick Lally Patricia Marino Caroline McBride Johno McBride Diane Morris Nona Niland Diane Oshin and Sidney Mandelbaum Karl and Holly Peterson Avi Peterson Missy and Steve Prudden Sheryl Schreiber Deborah and John Scott Carole and Gordon Segal Dr. and Mrs. Brian and Lisa Shaw Jim Stafford Mike and Kit Strang Lea Tucker Linda and Dennis Vaughn Kay Watson Susan Wolf and Doug MacLean Robert and Sarah Woods Bighorn Sheep ($300 - $599) Alison Coenen Abrams and Dale Abrams Stephen Adams Joanne and David Applebaum Nadine Asin and Thomas Van Straaten Suzanne Atkinson Anne Austin Clapper Lisa Avila Morton Baird John Ball Steve and Janette Barsanti Linda Bedell Skip and Donna Behrhorst Gina Berko and David Fleisher Drs. Paula and William Bernstein Sarah Blaine Liz and John Bokram Clare Bronowski Lee and Keith Bryant Karen Brooks Ruthie Burrus Barbara Bussell Tony Cannistra Julie Case David and Katherin Chase Lee Ann and Tucker Cheadle Cristal Clarke Julie Comins Pickrell and Greg Pickrell Annie Cooke Brian and Andy Davies Suzette De Marginy Smith Deanna Denning Carol Donnally Robynn Dorffi Bruce Ducker and Mary McGrath Amy and Doug Throm Jonathan Eisenberg Dana Ellis Darin Eydenberg Carol and Jim Farnsworth
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Sara Finkle Mr. and Mrs. Robert Freimuth John and Barb French Bert and Dyana Furmansky Lacy and Ernie Fyrwald Daryl and Henry Gelender Ephi and Rachel Gildor Sarah Girgis Shawn and Katherine Gleason Denise and Andy Goldfarb Lindsay and Thomas Gorman Jane and Allen Grossman Kim and Mark Hamilton Christie Hefner Casady Henry Jessica Herzstein and Elliot Gerson Sacha and Kirk Hinderberger David and Ruth Hoff Linda and Gregg Hollomon Carolyn Hyde Peter and Sandy Johnson Kyle and Kirsten Johnstone Yvonne Klausmann Missy and Chris Klug Judy Kravitz Marian Krogh Bill and Sheila Lambert Leslie Lamont and Lance Luckett Martha Lamphere Margo Langenberg Mark Lantz Charles Pratt and Co Helen Leeke Suzanne Leydecker Gary and Daylene Lichtenwalter Camilla Locker Kim Lubel Liz Lynch Wendy MacPhail-Brigham and Dan McCabe Susan and Lawrence Marx Joe and Jennifer Mason Jacqui Matthews Richard Thompson and Dee Matthews Liza and John Mauck Kelly and Bryan May Monica Mayotte Fern Mazo Sunni McBride Maddie and Christopher McDowell Sherry and Gerald Merfish Todd and Wendy Mitchell Beth Mobilian Ellen-Jane and Ben Moss Ann Mullins Shannon Murphy Swati and Rohan Nath John Neil Sara and Don Nelson Mary Ann and Chris Neumann Clas Nilstoft Roberta and Samuel Pepkowitz Ali and David Phillips Daria Rickett Jones Robb PLLC Beverly and Howard Robinson John Rodney Marvin Rosenberg Tobin and Oakleigh Ryan
Jay and Linda Sandrich Kirk Scales and Pat Curry Susan and Ford Schumann Nathan Segall and Harriet Landau May and Troy Selby Shelley Senterfitt Marcelina and Joshua Seymour Jamay and David Shook Torrey Simons Terri and Rich Slivka Elizabeth Slossberg Sandra Smith Wendy and David Smith Holly Sollod and John Chanin Danette Stephens Nancy and Bruce Stevens William Lundeen Stirling Clifford and Natasha Stowe Melissa Temple
Anne Tobey Edgar Toledano and Rebecca McCurdy Elissa Topol and A. Lee Osterman Joe McGuire and Matthew Tenzin Cathy and Peter Toren Nadine Asin and Thomas Van Straaten Cheryl Velasquez and Tamas Kovacs Soffia Wardy Misty Weihs Susan Welsch Laura Werlin Carlotta and Wendell Willke Natalie Winston Charles and Barbara Winton Steven Wolff and Lynne Feigenbaum Samantha and Jack Woodruff Carolyn Workman and Kurt Wacker Sara and Nat Zilkha
Corporate Sponsors
ACES’ corporate sponsors are making our community a more sustainable place. These donors contributed to ACES and/or sponsored an ACES event between November 1, 2020 and October 31, 2021.
Visionary ($10,000 & above) Alpine Bank Aspen Times / Post Independent Climate Champion ($5,000 - $9,999) Aspen Skiing Company Black Diamond / Mountain Khakis Monkey House Carbondale Olivela Obermeyer Wood Investment Counsel Reese Henry and Company, Inc Pioneer ($2,500 - $4,999) Aspen Sports/Vail Resorts Bethel Rentals Chris Klug Properties Craig Ward | Aspen Snowmass Sotheby’s Field 2 Fork Kitchen Forum Phi
Trailblazer ($1,000 - $2,499) Aspen Daily News Aspen Sojourner Bristlecone Mountain Sports Christie's International Realty Clarks Market Halcyon Holy Cross Energy Ken Ransford, P.C. KO Public Affairs Margerum Wine Company Of Grape and Grain Reese Henry and Company, Inc. Woody Creek Distillers Partner ($500 - $999) Alpine Valley Services Blazing Adventures Busy Beavers Gardening Evergreen Composting Gran Farnum Printing Olive and West Photography Patagonia Snowmass Two Leaves and A Bud Ute Mountaineer Supporter ($300 - $499) Land Design 39
DONORS & SPONSORS
Where We Work Aspen Area American Lake Aspen Elementary School Aspen Meadows Trail Aspen Mountain Buttermilk Mountain Castle Creek Valley Cathedral Lake Catto Center at Toklat The Collective Snowmass Crater Lake East of Aspen Ashcroft Ghost Town Hallam Lake Hunter Creek Maroon Creek Trail Maroon Lake North Star Nature Preserve Red Butte Ritz Carlton Club Riverdance Snowmass Nature Trail U.S. Forest Service Office Weller Lake
Our Partners Anderson Ranch Arts Center The Art Base Ashcroft Ski Touring Aspen Art Museum Aspen Community Foundation Aspen Chamber Resort Association Aspen Fire Department Aspen Global Change Institute Aspen Historical Society The Aspen Institute Aspen Public Radio Aspen School District Aspen Skiing Company Aspen Valley Land Trust Cap K Ranch Citizens Climate Lobby City of Aspen City of Aspen Parks & Open Space
City of Aspen Environmental Health Clean Rivers Initiative CO Natural Heritage Program CO Parks and Wildlife CO State Forest Service CO State University The Collective Snowmass Community Office for Resource Efficiency EverGreen ZeroWaste The Forest Conservancy Garfield County Outdoors Garfield Re-2 School District Grassroots TV Great Outdoors Colorado Holy Cross Energy Independence Pass Foundation The Little Nell
The Nature Conservancy Pitkin County Healthy Rivers & Streams Pitkin County Open Space & Trails Ritz Carlton Club Roaring Fork Audubon Roaring Fork Conservancy Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers Roaring Fork School District Snowmass Tourism Sunlight Mountain Resort Town of Snowmass Village U.S. Forest Service Upper CO River Interagency Fire Management Unit Wilderness Workshop Watershed Biodiversity Initiative
Basalt Area Basalt Elementary School Rock Bottom Ranch Lake Christine Burn Area Carbondale Area Grizzly Creek Burn Area Glenwood Springs Area Sunlight Mountain Resort Rifle/New Castle Area East Elk Creek Kathryn Senor Elementary School Rifle Falls State Park Rifle Gap State Park Silt River Preserve
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Administrative Staff Chris Lane Chief Executive Officer
Andrea Aust Education Director
Mariah Foley Agriculture Manager
Christina Green Development Coordinator
Jim Kravitz Naturalist Programs Director
Adam McCurdy Climate & Forest Programs Director
Christy Mahon Development Director
Molly O'Leary Events Manager
Emily Taylor Marketing Director
Emily Williams Field Programs Coordinator
Kitty Winograd RBR Community Programs Coordinator
Kamille Winslow School Programs Manager
Trustees Daniel Shaw, Chair Sam Brown Neal Dempsey Andy Docken Mark Hamilton Jennifer Goldfarb Reenie Kinney Leslie Lamont Adam Lewis Kim Master Diane Moore Gina Murdock
Brodie Kettelkamp Finance & Operations Director Phebe Meyers Community Programs Senior Manager
Legacy Council Jerry Murdock Robert Musser Walter Obermeyer, Treasurer Ben Pritzker Barbara Rosenberg Alex Sanchez Sheri Sanzone Ashley Schiff Ramos Rachel Sherman, Secretary Maile Spung, Officer Colter Van Domelen
Annual report photos courtesy of Chris Cohen Photography, Olive & West Photography, Aspen Historical Society, and ACES staff. Rendering of Riverdance provided by Stan Clauson Associates, planning and landscape design consultants for the project. Annual report design by Amy Gurrentz. 24
Grayson Bauer Hallam Lake Site & Programs Coordinator
Margot and Tom Pritzker, Chairs Zoë Baird and Bill Budinger Amy and Gilchrist Berg Jacolyn and John Bucksbaum Ann and John Doerr Lori and Larry Fink Allison and Warren Kanders Melony and Adam Lewis
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS & EVENTS GALLERY
Farmer Panel at Rock Bottom Ranch
An Evening on the Lake | ACES Summer Benefit
Birds of Prey Demonstrations at Hallam Lake
Farm to Table Dinners at Rock Bottom Ranch
Join us for more community programs and special events! View our full calendar at aspennature.org Including: Sunset Beaver Walks, Wild Yoga, Know Your Trees, Morning Birding, Art Classes, Earth Day, Stars Above Aspen, Burlap Dinners, Solstice Celebration, Naturalist Nights, Potbelly Perspectives, & more! Wild & Scenic Film Festival at the Wheeler Opera House & TACAW
"Stories Told By Trees" Forest & Climate Program Walk
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